Bowling ball



Patente'd Feb. 24, 1942 UNITED sTATJEs PATENT OFFICE BOWLING BALL JacobBomze, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 19, 1941, Serial No. 394,213

` V (ol. 273-63) 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to bowling balls and refers moreparticularly to an improved rgrip therefor.

` Heretofore bowling balls have had two holes therein for receivingrespectively the thumb and i second finger of a bowler's hand, but thisarrangement of holes is objectionable because the 'two fingers only gripthe ball and are not always strong enough to hold the same. Moreover,the

two fingers do not always provide an accurate delivery of the ball.Other balls have had three holes therein to permit the second and thirdfingers as well as the thumb to engage separate vholes in the ball tohold the same, but this arrangement causes the second and third fingersto assume unnatural positions and sometimes the withdrawal of suchfingers from the separate holes therefor has been difficult and hascaused 'ya drag that resulted in inaccurate delivery of 'the'balL Hence,this arrangement too is objectionable.

In the present instance, I have overcome the difficulties heretoforeexperienced by providing a gripr or arrangement of finger-receivingholes that will enable the bowler to hold theball better and morecomfortably with `a natural relaxed position of his hand, to withdrawthe fingers more readily and naturally from the holes providedthereforin the ball, and to deliver the ball more accurately. PreferablyI have accomplished this by providing the ball with two holes, one beingcylindrical' for the thumb and the other being oblong and obliquelyarranged with respect to the cylindrical hole for receiving two or morefingers side by side.

engage the ball naturally and are released naturally therefrom withoutstrain, drag or other objectionable factors that heretofore wereexperienced with other forms of grips.

' In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bowling ball embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially 'on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view substantially at right angles to the axis of thefinger hole of the bowling ball;

Figure 4 is a plan view substantially at right angles to the axis of thethumb hole of the bowling ball;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the ball and a bowleris hand, andshowing the thumb and second and third fingers in engagement With thefinger holes in the ball.

. Such holes are constructed and arranged in such a way that the fingersReferring now to the drawing, A is a solid lbowling ball of ebonite orsimilar material having two spaced holes IO and H, respectively, thereinfor the fingers of a bowler's hand and providing the grip embodying myinvention.

As shown, the hole l is a substantially straight cylindrical holeextending inwardly from the exterior surface of the ball alongapproximately a radial line |2 for `a predetermined distance of depthand adapted to receive the thumb of a bowler's hand, while the hole H isa substantially straight oblong hole extending inwardly from theexterior surface of the ball along approximately a'radial line |3 for apredetermined distance or depth and adapted to receive side by side twoor more fingers such, for example, as the second and third fingers ofthe bowler's hand. Preferably the oblong hole ll is obliquely arrangedrelative to the cylindrical hole ll) so that ``and of the fingers to beinserted in said holes,

and ordnarilyy are formed in the ball after suitable measurements of thebowlers hand have been obtained. Likewise, the span |5 between the holes|0 and H is determined bysuch measurements. However, regardless of anyvariation in the span and consequently the angle l6 between the radiallines |2 and l3, the oblong hole I always inclines laterally away fromthe cylin-` drical hole III.

Before forming the holes lil and l l therein, the ball may be consideredas divided by relatively perpendicular primary and secondary diametralplanes I l and l8, respectively, defining by their intersection a pole[9 on the surface thereof. The oblong hole l l is formed in the ball sothat the curved end 20 thereof is to the left of the primary plane I'land substantially concentric with 'the pole l9, and the longitudinalmedian line 2I of the oblong hole I l is coincident with an obliquediametral plane 22 disposed approximately at a 53 angle to the primarydiametral plane Il and approximately at a 37 angle to the secondarydiametral plane l8. The axis of the cylindrical hole IO is coincidentwith the primary diametral plane ll.

The ball may be gripped as illustrated in Figure 5 so that the palmarsurface of the thumb 23 will engage the curved wall 24 of thecylindrical hole lil. and the palmar surfaces of the oblong hole ll.

second and third fingers 25 and 26, respectively, will engage theelongated side wall 27 of the When the ball is released, the thumb 23leaves the cylindrical hole HI substantially in a plane 28 tangent tothe cylindrical hole, and the fingers 25 and 26 leave the oblong hole llin a plane 29 coincident with the side wall 21 of said oblong hole.

Thus, With my construction and arrangement of finger-receiving holes, itis possible to hold the ball'with three fingers in only two holeswithout unnatural flexure of muscles and to release or deliver the balleasily, smoothly and accurately without abrasion of the fingers or dragon the ball in any way.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A bowling ball which for purposes of definition is considered asdivided'by relatively perpendicular primary and secondary diametralplanes, the ball having a cylindrical hole for fxreceiving' athumbfandhaving-:a hole oblong in cross Vsection for receiving't two or. morefingers sideby side;the axis of the cylindrical holefbeing `coincident.with4 the primary diametral plane, the

oblong hole beingfspaced from and the major axis of the-surface openingthereof inclining laterally away. from the cylindrical hole,rthe*majorportion of the-surface opening of the oblong hole -extendingrto one sideof the primary diametral ,plane-and away from the cylindrical hole.

v2. Abowling ball which for purposes of definition is :considered asdivided by relatively perpendicular primary and secondary diametralplanes, the ball having a cylindricalV hole for receiving a thumb=-andhaving a hole oblong in crosssection for receiving two or more fingersside byside, theaxis of the cylindrical hole being coincident-with theprimary diametral plane, the oblong 'hole being spaced from and themajor axis of the surface opening thereof inclining latrerally away fromthe cylindrical hole, the major portion-of the surface opening of theoblong hole extendinjg to one side of the primary diametral aar-1,522

plane and away from the cylindrical hole and disposed above and atsubstantially a thirty-v seven degree angle to the secondary diametralplane.

3. A bowling ball which for purposes of definition is considered asdivided by relatively perpendicular primary and secondary diametralplanes, the ball having a cylindrical hole for receiving a thumb andhaving a hole oblong in cross section for receiving two or more fingersside by side, the aXis of the cylindrical hole being coincident with theprimary diametral plane, the oblong hole being spaced from and the majoraxis of the surface opening thereof inclining laterally away from thecylindrical hole, the major portion of the surface opening of the oblonghole -extending to one side of the primary diametral plane and away fromthe cylindrical hole, one side. of the cylindrical hole being coincidentwith a plane disposed parallel to the primary diametral plane andsubstantially tangent -to=a.part 4ofi'the adjacent end of the oblonghole.

4. A bowling ball which for purposesrof definition is considered as:divided by 'relativelyjperpendicular primary and secondary diametralplanes,' the ball having `a cylindrical hole 'for receiving a thumb,;andhavinga 'hole oblong in cross section for receiving two or morefingersside by side, the aXis of the'cylindrical hole being coincident withtheprimary diametral plane, the oblong hole being spaced from and theVmajor vaxis of the surface opening thereof inclining laterally awayfromthe cylindricall hole, theimajor portion of the surface opening of theoblong'hole extending to :one side of the primary 'diametral lplane andawayfrom the cylindrical hole andrdisposed above and at=substantiallyfathirtyI-seven degree vangle tov the secondary diametral plane, one sideof the cylindrical; hole `being coincident with a plane disposedparallel to theiprimary diametral plane and substantially tangentwtocapart of the adjacent end of the oblong hole.

JACOB BOMZE.

